The Mudflats

Finally we have an update in the email saga.  Seems like the Governor’s office isn’t ready, after four months, to turn them over.  Here’s a press release from the Alaska Democratic Party:

The Alaska Democratic Party (ADP) has objected to a request from Governor Sarah Palin’s Office for another two months or more of additional time to release official emails sent and received by Governor Palin in 2007 and 2008.

The Alaska Democratic Party’s request for the Governor’s emails about specified topics already has been pending more than four months, since Sept. 22, 2008. The latest request from Linda Perez, Palin’s Administrative Director, to Attorney General Talis Colberg asks for an additional extension until March 31. Perez’s letter of Jan. 28 says that she will ask for yet another further extension “once I have an estimate of the additional time necessary to provide the records.” Under the Public Records Act, public records are supposed to be provided within 10 working days of being requested, or as soon as practicable.

“Governor Palin’s campaign promises to conduct the State’s business in a transparent and open manner appear meaningless,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Patti Higgins. “These repeated delays are excessive and unwarranted. There is obvious obfuscation going on here. Sarah Palin is proving herself to be anti-transparent about her own communications and activities.”

An email from David Jones, Senior Assistant Attorney General, to Perez dated Jan. 28 states that “we have made little progress” in preparing public records for release. His email indicated that new software was obtained that was supposed to enable the Department of Law to number, review and redact the records electronically, but the department has not been able to use the new software. “The records are not yet available to us in a form that will permit us to number, review and as necessary, redact them,” Jones wrote.

It appears that the Office of the Governor and the Attorney General have lumped in the ADP’s straightforward request with more complex requests from other entities involving private mailboxes, and thus the State has not dealt with the ADP’s request in compliance with the statute and regulations. Just because the State is not able to fulfill other requests without an extensive search does not mean that the State is relieved of the obligation to provide accessible records in a timely manner to the ADP.

The state informed the ADP in earlier correspondence that its request would require a search of the state mailboxes of 51 separate individuals. Complying with the ADP’s records request requires searching only the email of Governor Sarah Palin, Higgins said.

The emails sought could have been identified with simple search commands, and the records sought should have been produced by now, Higgins said.

“We trust that the Attorney General will not make another biased decision for the benefit of the Governor, but rather will act to protect the interests of Alaskans who have a legal right to obtain public records,” Higgins said.

Which emails are they looking for?  Here’s the intriguing list:

• All those between Palin and state Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, or between Palin and state Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, with the words “abortion” or “AGIA,” which is short for the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act;

• All e-mails from Palin containing the following words: babysitter, childcare, McCain, Obama, Democrat, Huckabee, Wal-Mart, Eskimo, Natives, Kuwait, passport, Ruedrich, or Kopp;

• All e-mails between Palin and her husband, Todd, with any of the following words: vote, veto, budget, oil, Monegan, or Wooten; and

• All e-mails between Palin and her sister, Molly McCann, with the words Wooten or Monegan.

For more details check out the article in today’s Anchorage Daily News.

No, the volcano hasn’t buried Mudflats alive.  It’s worse.  Computer issues.  The fix should happen today (keep fingers crossed), but for right now, please enjoy this open thread to discuss the issues of the day, and THANK YOU to all of you who granted my wish.  I heard the audio for this clip in college, and never even knew there was video!  It makes it even better.

So, comPLETEly off topic from Alaska politics, but somehow strangely in keeping with the Alaska Department of Law’s 2008 Annual Report, please enjoy Peter Sellers doing Laurence Olivier doing Richard III doing A Hard Day’s Night!

Let me start by saying I am only capable of writing this post, because I have finally stopped laughing.  I’m not talking “LOL” or amusement, or even an actual out loud chuckle.  I’m talking inability to speak, tears streaming down face, convulsions, and inability to breathe.  There’s no catchy acronym for that, like “LOL,”  because first, it seldom happens, and second, the acronym would be  “ITSTSDFCAITB”.  Not catchy.

Perhaps it is because in college I studied not only Early English Drama, but also Psychology, that this little bit of absurdity feels as though it was created by the gods of humor just for me.  But truly, I have not laughed this hard in years.  If laughter is the best medicine, then I have officially overdosed today.

What has done this to me?  What has caused me to be the victim of multiple spasmodic aftershocks of laughter since early this morning?  The unlikely answer, my friends, is the State of Alaska Department of Law Annual Report 2008.

Gryphen at The Immoral Minority has done a great write-up on this (click the link and scroll down), complete with translations and humorous asides.

Colberg, in the introductory letter for this official document,  references Shakespeare’s Henry V, and his famous “St. Crispian’s Day” monologue.  And it’s not just a passing mention.  OK…remember.  Department of Law, Annual Report, first page, letter from the Attorney General.   If you feel like it, you can imagine him reading the letter aloud at a podium, addressing the rest of the Department of Law and whoever else happens to be around.  It adds to the effect.  OK, OK.  Lights, camera, ACTION!

December 2008

Dear Governor Palin, Alaska Legislators and Fellow Alaskans,

Shakespeare, in the play Henry V provides the ultimate team-building speech for King Henry in what is now known as the “St. Crispin’s Day” speech. The real King Henry V may or may not have given a rousing speech to his outnumbered army on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt in 1215, but as with so much, fact has become con­flated with myth —and the result is inspiration. I think we have an inspiring story to tell, based largely on facts.

(Interruption by AKM:  Please note the story is based “largely” on facts.  The rest, I’m guessing, is based on complete fabrication?  Fast forward to the end of the page…)

[snip] As Henry said in his speech, “The fewer men [Shakespeare did not go out of his way to an­ticipate the advancement of women], the greater share of honour.” Tell that to the Collec­tions Section—that it is a greater honor because you have fewer colleagues? The point is, that the Department of Law does a lot and does it honorably and can be proud of it.

Henry called on his team to look to the future:

“He that outlives this day, and comes safe home
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors
And say, ‘Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.’”

Well, maybe the staff at the Department of Law will not commemorate their service to the state with a yearly vigil and declare, “I was there when…” but they have reason to.

In his conclusion, Henry declares:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers [and sisters]
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

Brought into a modern Alaskan translation, “Those poor attorneys who have never known the privilege of stand­ing in the ranks of the Department of Law during the Fiftieth Year of Statehood will think themselves accursed.”

We (relatively) few. We happy few.

Sincerely,
Talis J. Colberg
Attorney General

Shedding blood?  Holding manhood cheap?  Standing a-tiptoe? The Battle of Agincourt in 1215?  Attorneys who were not in the Department of Law in the Palin administration, and up to their eyeballs in Troopergate, subpoena-gate, and working over the State Constitution with a pair of legal brass knuckles “will think themselves accursed“???

I love Shakespeare.  I really do.  I have three (yes three) copies of The Complete Works of Shakespeare in my home.  I have seen Henry V many many times.  There’s nothing wrong with a line of Shakespeare now and then.  But this is waaaay over the top.  The first rule of Toastmasters is “Know Your Audience.”  And unless Talis Colberg wrote this just for me, he is wildly off the mark.  To anyone else, he may as well be wearing a sign that says, “Hi, I’m a delusional, pompous windbag and I’d like you to make fun of me.”

There have been many times I have thought to myself, “I wonder what is going on inside Talis Colberg’s head?”  But, I NEVER expected it would be this:

This is how he sees the Alaska Department of Law.

I can forgive a lot. But I will never forgive Talis Colberg for this. Because now, every time I am in his presence, I will be picturing him in a purple velvet tunic, metal pants and a codpiece.

He has proven one thing, though.  For Palin and her administration, “all the world’s a stage.”

When is this play going to be over?

Here is the first of several videos to come from Dennis Zaki’s trip to rural Alaska. Dennis’ trip was absolutely invaluable in bringing awareness to those living outside rural Alaska of the region, the people, and the unique challenges faced by their fellow Americans in that region of the country.

As the topic of rural Alaska finds its way to wider and broader media sources, we should all remember what former Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan had to say about this. Walt was born in rural Alaska, and has seen all sides of the issues facing residents, and the state.  I asked Walt what he thought of the situation this winter, and the magnitude of the crisis started by the collapse of the salmon fishery, in which rural residents are having to choose whether to keep their children and elders warm, or fed.  The situation was spotlighted by an open letter from Emmonak resident Nick Tucker in the Bristol Bay Times earlier this month.

‘Standing amidst disaster is not the time for blame, it is a time for action. Mr. Tucker’s letter was a call to arms,  and everyone who can should help our fellow Alaskans.  Let’s get our neighbors out of danger now and work collectively to ensure that no Alaskan ever has to face such dire choices again.’

It was a wonderful day!!! We gave food to 30 families!!! It took me and my volunteers 4 hours to sort, inventory, and fill boxes and deliver them to those who couldn’t come and get them. I am on a food drive/giving HIGH right now LOL. I am soooo proud of all of you muddflatters and others for making it possible for us to help my village

Quyana Cakneq (Yupik for THANK YOU VERYYYYY MUCH!!!)

Ann Strongheart
nunamiquayouth(at)yahoo.com

P.S. CNN is picking up the story, they already spoke to Nicholas Tucker, in Emmonak and I received a request for an interview!

Quyana Cakneq to all those involved in sharing this story.  Awareness is always the first step in solving a problem, no matter how complex it may be.